The drinking age in port in nearly uniformly 18 -- where they check at all.

Does anyone really read these posts? Because if you do you will plainly see how most of you are explaining in detail how to cheat, lie and side step the law all for  an illegal (if you are underage, YOU REALLY ARE underage) alcoholic drink  in the name of "let's keep the bartender tipped well and bring them in on the scheme". . Yes, that's exactly the role modeling I want to portray to my teenage children on this most outstanding cruise line. Do you realize that you also jeopardize people's jobs when you do that? Well, I suppose it's okay if you don't mind other people getting one over on you as long as you never find out, it's okay. 

SunandSea123:

Does anyone really read these posts? Because if you do you will plainly see how most of you are explaining in detail how to cheat, lie and side step the law all for  an illegal (if you are underage, YOU REALLY ARE underage) alcoholic drink  in the name of "let's keep the bartender tipped well and bring them in on the scheme". . Yes, that's exactly the role modeling I want to portray to my teenage children on this most outstanding cruise line. Do you realize that you also jeopardize people's jobs when you do that? Well, I suppose it's okay if you don't mind other people getting one over on you as long as you never find out, it's okay. 

We changed the drinking laws in the US when the gov't pressured the states to raise the age with the penalty for non-compliance being loss of highway funds.  This was done with the goal of reducing the number of young drunk drivers with poor (underdeveloped) judgement and reducing the number of highway deaths.  Good idea.  The ship has a designated driver, but 21 it is.

They will get stopped if they try to drink on the ship and are under age.  It does seem a little strange that a married couple can't drink.  They can marry, have children, enter into legal contracts, buy a house, a car, pay taxes, be tried as an adult if they break a law, join the military, and vote.  They can't drink.  On one cruise I was on their was a Marine I was talking to that had just come back from Iraq.  He was 20 years old and couldn't drink.  Makes sense to me.

In the state I live in, it is actually legal for one to drink at the age of 18 if they are with a parent are legal guardian.  Most bars won't let them, but it is technically legal.

Ever been to Europe?

I agree that the drinking laws in the US are utterly idiotic. At 18 you are old enough to die for your country but not to have a beer? As the poster above said, you can go and fight in Iraq, but come home and you can't have a beer? It's stupid. S-T-U-P-I-D.

That said, we should follow the laws of the land. But as (again) the poster above said, on the islands, it is generally legal for 18+ to drink.

BRAV-double OO!!! I agree wholeheartedly.  If you are old enough to die for your country, you should be old enough to drink!!  IMO

Everytime I've been to a foreign country, if you were big enough to see over the bar you were old enough to drink!!

 This brings up a question I had in the back of my mind and hopefully this is a good place to ask it.  I am 30 years old, but still get carded more often than I'd care to admit.  I don't drink much, if any, but I was wondering if I'd need to carry my ID with me on the ship in case I decided to order a drink.  Am I correct in my understanding that my S&S card will be able to prove that I am in fact legal?

Being carded should make you smile.  I live for the day someone will card me for alcohol, but it's obvious I have more days behind me than in front of me.  Maybe it's the grey in the hair or the wrinkles on the face...no, that couldn't be it.

Your sail and sign card will identify you as being over 21.

"Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get."  Brother Dave Gardner.  ( A comedian from the 50's and early 60's.  See, I'll never get carded.)

 Don't panic. When your husband goes to the bar to order a drink, have him order for you too. I'm of age, but when we were sitting in lounge's, etc, he would go up an order for the both of us. We barely used my S & S card at all.

SunandSea123:

Does anyone really read these posts? Because if you do you will plainly see how most of you are explaining in detail how to cheat, lie and side step the law all for  an illegal (if you are underage, YOU REALLY ARE underage) alcoholic drink  in the name of "let's keep the bartender tipped well and bring them in on the scheme". . Yes, that's exactly the role modeling I want to portray to my teenage children on this most outstanding cruise line. Do you realize that you also jeopardize people's jobs when you do that? Well, I suppose it's okay if you don't mind other people getting one over on you as long as you never find out, it's okay. 

SunandSea,

I believe the OP is a 20 year old married woman, not a teenager who is trying to pull one over on her parents.

 Yes, I am a 20 year old married mother of two. And no, I could not drink on the ship. That did not prevent my husband from buying me a drink or two. Also during the ships "Farewell", they had free cocktails. I was given 8 cocktails in an hour, I was never carded. I also drank in port where it is "if you can walkup to the bar, you can order".  I agree, if you can go off to fight for your country, you can have a beer.

My cruise was wonderful with or with out drinking. 

HoustonTodd:

I agree that the drinking laws in the US are utterly idiotic. At 18 you are old enough to die for your country but not to have a beer? As the poster above said, you can go and fight in Iraq, but come home and you can't have a beer? It's stupid. S-T-U-P-I-D.

If you want to define S-T-U-P-I-D, simply check out any drunk 18 yo.  Most 18 yo's can't appreciate the consequences, but yea, some 50 yo's can't either.

For the most part, one isn't an adult until they are 21.  It is true, that certain adult-like privileges are extended to those under 21.   Like 18, 19, and 20 yo's can be drafted (enacted around 1942), and 18, 19, and 20 yo's have been granted the right to vote.   In some places like Georgia a 16 yo can marry, but in others like Mississippi one has to wait until they are an adult (21).

BTW, an 18 yo can legally drink beer in Iraq.  :D

I don't think an 18 year old should be able to drink legally in the US, I don't really care about other countries.  Just because a 13 yr old can get pregnant does that mean she should be able to drink too?  One thing has nothing to do with the other. 

I think the problem is when you live in the US and you can't legally drink until you are 21 and you get some 18 years olds that go to an island and have some drinks, most of the time those kids get WASTED and are ridiculous.  I am not old but I have no patience for stupid drunks.  I hate when people are falling all over and spilling drinks all over other people, they aren't used to it and they abuse it.

I drank prior to beign 21, most of us have, but I did not get drunk and that is an issue they need to deal with.  If you are not used to it, you need to take it slow and respect it...trust me, a buzz feels better than getting wasted and you will feel much better the next day.

Funny but most other countries with lower drinking ages don't have the same problems with binge drinking by youngsters that we here in America do. You know why? Because they grow up around it, it is no big deal, they are taught to handle it at least somewhat respobsibly.

The drinking age should be 18, and families need to be responisble for teaching their kids how to act responsibly and to not act like fools. Btw I'm not some teen longing for a drink, I'm in my 30's, with a 16 year old son of my own. I drink, I never have more than 2, my kids see me handle it responsibly, and when they get older they will know how to do the same.

 I'm ok with that.

I am a mother of 20 year old married man and his wife just turned 19 today. By law they can defend our country, they are legally emancipated therefore neither are eligible for their parents insurance, they can vote, they can have kids, they can drink legally in almost if not all other countries and no longer receive "child support" whether they are still in school or not (because in the eyes of the law they are no longer children), but yet they can go to jail for illegal consumption of alcohol by a MINOR. Please explain how that is just! While other unmarried children are still able to enjoy the benefits of their parents, which included but not limited to child support. And for the record, I nor my husband drink alcohol but we believe our adult/married children should be able to drink if they so choose.

Libby